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General Motors’ full-size trucks are undisputedly its most important vehicles, which means recently appointed full-size truck engineer, Sheri Hickok, occupies one of the most important positions within the company. The 37-year old mother of two was appointed to the position in December, and now faces the daunting task of developing the next-generation Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra.

According to Automotive News, Hickok is already looking at clay models of the next-generation trucks and discussing the ever-important mix of materials to be used in order to make the trucks lighter and thus more efficient. She’s even sat down with marketers on how they will advertise the trucks’ features.

It may seem like Hickok is making some early moves, but AN says it’s necessary if she wants the trucks to arrive on time and on budget. She’s obviously remaining tight-lipped on the details, but industry experts say the new full-size pickups will arrive in late 2018 or early 2019.

Hickok is smart to watch her tongue, as few segments are as competitive as full-size pickups. She did say she’s taking a trip to a certain state in order to sit in on focus groups and chat with prospective truck buyers, but she wouldn’t specify which one, only saying she’s “buying cowboy boots.”

“I’m not a traditional truck driver, so to me that process will be really powerful,” Hickok told AN in a statement. “The guy who owns the construction business, what does he need out of his truck? It’s probably going to be something very different from what I would want. We need to channel the customer the whole time.”

Hickok has held numerous important engineering roles at GM. She led operations at GM’s noise and vibration center at Milford, served as chief engineer on the Buick LaCrosse and Cadillac XTS and was the executive director of global supplier quality. Those were all rather short stints compared to the full-size pickup role, which she hopes to stay in until the trucks’ launch.

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24 Comments

Number 1. Give it more ground clearance
Number 2. Better outward visibility, make the roof taller
Number 3. Offer a more off road variant
Number 4. Make 4wd standard
Number 5. Get rid of the base v6
Number 6. Get rid of the nose dive. It leans too far forward

1. More GC=more air going under the vehicle=bad for aero, more lift, changes towing
2. Taller roof=larger front cross sectional area=bad for aero, bad for parking garages
3. This is happening, so you get this one
4. 4wd standard is dumb, not everyone wants to pay for it and it adds unnecessary weight and components, whats the big deal about it being an option, really? all my trucks are 4wd, 4auto capable actually, but for them to make it standard is never happening
5. base v6? try 4 turbo next go around
6. it leans forward for aero reasons. dont like it, buy a $50 level kit that takes and hour to install at home

Number 1 and 6: GM’s independent front suspensions make the front hang low. The torsion bars are lowered to make the truck ride smoother, if you want it up higher just tighten the torsion bars to raise it.

I’m Really Sick of these so called Focus Groups, do what Chevy did with the New Volt and make it True Customer Input Developed, bring in Truck Driving Customers from All Walks of Life, not just “Country Boots” variants and Trust, you will make Trucks that will put a Dagger in the Fords!!!! 😉

Check with the Truck owners who don’t buy GM trucks and ask them why they don’t. Then proceed to make your so good that it makes it almost impossible to say no. I say almost because some people will never buy GM no matter how better they are than their competitors.

I will back up 62 on that. I am not a GM employee but I know people inside GM and I know people who have been in these groups.

The reality is the best you can do is hit a majority of perspective buyer wishes because too many are like old Joey there with no touch of reality.

You can listen to all the people in the world but like we see here too often the ideas people have do not deal with all the factors involved with building an pricing a car. I have seen many on the HHR web site say that the SS version should have been AWD. but yet they already complained about the sticker price at $28K already. Adding AWD while a good idea would have driven the cost over $30K for a vehicle that sold 3K-5K units per year.

Building and putting a car on the market at a proper price in the $60K is one of the most difficult things in the world. The cheaper the price the more difficult it becomes.

While she may be a good engineer I do wish GM would spend more time picking people with passion for a product more often. If she is not a truck buyer she should not be leading the team. If I were buying a cake I would want to have a baker who loves cake making it.

I know how they move people around at GM but I just wish marketing people and Engineers were closer matched to the products they identify with.

I agree with you Scott, putting people in there who may work good in areas doesn’t mean they know trucks or truck people. Her saying she is not a traiditional truck driver worries me. I think the truck that is out now is great just wished they would put the 6.2L on more offerings and advertised their truck better, just a few things.. Being bolder to do newer things or bring newer things to the truck would be nice. They have great potential.

Whatever the material the successor to the K2 platform is made of, the material will have to be uniform across the entire range. That means that it would be too costly for GM’s material engineering to offer the 1500 truck in aluminum, but then use the same platform in steel for the 2500 and 3500.

Chemically, aluminum and iron (steel) behave differently when subjected to stress and loads. Researching these differences is a matter of engineers and material scientists GM employs. Implementing two identical truck platforms varying only in material would be unwise of GM’s product planners.

I do not see Aluminum needed for a little while in the larger trucks yet. Their CAFE standards are lower and GM can do many things to lessen the wright there yet.

In time we may see it get there as the government will change their standards too.

While I expect Aluminum to get more common and has many good things we will also have to deal with the common issues that also are a problem with it too.

Many reports are coming out now about repair on the Fords and it is not as cheap and as easy as they claim at Ford. I expect it to improve and buy the time Chevy gets there in 2018 it will be much improved and the market will adjust.

This is one issue that makes being second to market a little more appealing.

I’d make one brand a Ford fighter and the other a Ram fighter. Don’t count Ram out as they’ve made huge strides in the truck segment. And I know the fanboys are thinking,(They discount there trucks more). We get it, but at the end of the day if there taking away sales, there taking away sales. I would give one with coil over rear suspension with optional air ride.(Ram) And the other to focus on capability with leaf springs. (F-150) And they need a catchy name for there engines. Ecotec ain’t cutting it. I hear HEMI and EcoBoost all day and even Coyote from time to time but not Ecotec. I actually was told by a guy in a Silverado that he had GMs EcoBoost… It sounds dumb but people are dumb. I never thought I’d say this but GM is in a good position right now with two brands of half tons.

The segment is not going to change much unless someone really drops the ball big time. The fact is this segment is pretty locked in and only price makes the biggest changes as brand loyalty is so strong here.

Rams greatest strides have been in lower prices with higher incentives. But most of these ownerships are short lived as Ram and Dodge have the fewest repeat buyers. So what sales they take away are so far not lasting. Not a fan boy observation but a true market observation. Chrysler as a whole is the second worst for repeat ownership because of quality issues. I see it at work were rust and mechanical issues move most back to Ford or Chevy after failed tries at Ram. It is the old one and done ownership and they seldom go back. All the original Durango buyers were really lost when the ball joints fall off in less than 50,000 miles.

Ecotec would cut it if they really did something to market it. Ford Marketing is tops right now and they have made people think that Ford originated the DI Turbo even when Audi and GM both had it years before. The truth is the Ecoboost is not different than most of GM turbo engines. The Hemi is sold like it is the direct dependent of the original when the truth is it has more in common with the LS engine GM had. Chrysler used it as a bench mark. Again most of this can be traced to poor GM marketing. Great products but you still have to sell them.

GM needs to keep advancing Chevy as they continue to make GM more special and premium. They need to use GMC as the one that cost more but gives more and they can afford to take risk there that if they work good if not it has no effect on Chevy.

This is where you try the coil springs again as GM had them in the 60’s. But even then most truck buyers were not fans. The Ram system is a nice option but we really need to look and see how many they are selling. IF worth the effort that would make a great Denali option as these are the least likely to be work trucks and the price point is high enough to do it right.

The bottom line no matter who does what the rankings will remain much the same unless Ford loses fleet sales to the higher prices on the aluminum trucks that may hurt the dirt cheap sales they have had on these models.

Looks like another politically motivated move at GM to have a woman design the new full-sized trucks. She’s doesn’t even drive a truck. GM doesn’t have time to have someone learn about trucks with RAM and Ford breathing down their throats. Dumb move GM.

Not really as GM has made people work in all areas of the trade over the years. Many Corvette engineers worked on everything from sedans to cooperate trucks over the years including those who lead the groups.

They do the same with designers too.

Another move for those they like is they move them globally. They will do turns in Europe at Opel, Australia Holden and even China now before coming back here.

I am sure she is a good engineer and smart enough to do the job but I would still prefer someone who is immersed into the vehicle they are working on.

Well I hope we’ve advanced a little on the coil overs since the 60’s. I’m well aware of the truth about HEMI and EcoBoost but like I stated most people are dumb when it comes to that. People like a catchy name. If I seen some guy walking around with an Eco tec hat on I’d think he’s got a grand am. I’m not bashing the engine at all, just the Name and yes the name is part of the marketing.

I knew Dodge and Chryslers had bad repeat customer numbers but was un aware of the New Ram brand having it too. I know ram has a lower number of new truck sales being repeat customers. But I figured it was from so many new customers offsetting the numbers. I do look at a much smaller picture tho being in Canada. It’s pretty much like looking at sales of one bigger US state. Ram being number 2 in Canada now.

I can think of 2 guys switching to Ram from GM and two from Ford to Ram.

I personally would take Ford or GM any day over Ram. But after being in them. I get it….they get decent mileage, they fly, and they ride great. But I’d buy a Tundra before blowing money on one.

I’m not sticking up for the other trucks, or trying to bash the GM twins.

The fact is many people do not care even about the name. Today GM does so little marketing on the V8 engine in the trucks many people can not even tell you the engine sizes available anymore. Most would tell you a 350 CID is in them and that has not been offered for along time.

GM has fail miserably on marketing not just here but many places where they have great products. This failure has left many good things off peoples radar when shopping.

GM has fixed a lot but the marketing outside the Corvette and Camaro both need fixed and fixed soon.

Cadillac is not selling and many want to blame price. Well if people even had a clue on what these cars were like and offered sales would be much better off. Right now just look at their advertising and tell me what it says about the cars and what they offer. See no one knows because they are not telling the real story. We have dancing robots and where Waldo.